Signal lantern



' ec. 1s 192s. 1,477,923

W. A. WELTON SIGNAL LANTERN Filed Aug. 7. 1922 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 mw...llllflhumw arm 11 M4 Dec. 18 1923.

W. A. WELTON SIGNAL LANTERN 2 Sheets-She et 2 Filed Aug. 7. 1922 GU30:new

Patented Dec. 18, 1923.

WILLIAM ALBERT WELTON,

T0 FREDERICK n. FARLEY or LITTLE ROCK, ARKANSAS.

OF LITTLE ROCK, ARKANSAS, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-THIRD AND ONE-THIRD TO CHARLESPHILIP WATERS, BOTH SIGNAL LANTERN.

Application filed August 7, 1922.

T0 aZZ whom a may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM ALBERT WELTON, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Little Rock, in the county of Pulaski and State ofArkansas, have invented certain new and usefullmprove ments in SignalLanterns, of which the following is a specification, reference being hadto the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to lanterns such as carried by trainmen andothers, and particularly to lanterns which are convertible from anordinary lantern to asignal lantern or danger lantern by the provlsionof means whereby a red or other colored screen may be disposed aroundthe burner of the lantern so that the lantern will display a red .orother colored light when occasion requires.

One of the objects of this invention is to provide a lantern of thiskind of a very simple construction,.in which the body'of.

the lantern is of ordinary form, and in which the screen lifting devicesare mounted upon the bowl or base of the burner.

A further object is to provide a construction of this character whereinthe colored glass screen is normally disposed between the oil font andthe casing or base of the burner, and provide means upon the exterior ofthis casing or base whereby the screen may be raised up around theburner of the lantern or depressed between the oil font and the base.

A still further object is to provide means whereby the screen may belocked in its raised position when it is desired to use the lantern withthe screen for any considerable length of time.

Another object is to provide means whereby the base or casing of the oilfont and screen may be detachably engaged and locked to the frame of thelantern.

A further object is to provide means whereby the font may be detachablylocked in place within the casing or base but is rendered easilyremovable therefrom.

Other objects have to do with the provision of a lantern of thischaracter which shall be very simple and, therefore, cheaply made.

My invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein Figure1 is a side elevation of a signal Serial No. 580,171.

lantern constructed in accordance with my Invention;

Figure 2 is a top plan view of the base of the lantern partly brokenaway;

Figure 3 is a vertical sectional view through the base of the lantern;

Figure 4 is a fragmentary perspective View of the casing 20 and theparts coacting therewith;

Figure 5 is a fragmentary perspective view of the rim '12;

Figure 6 is a fragmentary perspective view of the upper portion of thecasing 20 partly in section;

Figure 7 is a through the rim 20;

Figure 8 is a perspective view of the slidable frame and the glassscreen supported thereb the screen and frame being separated.

Referring to these drawings, it will be seen that the frame of thelantern is of ordinary form, comprising the base ring 10, the uprightwires 11 which extend upward and inward from the base ring and areconnected to a supporting band 12 and then extend upward and outward, asat 13, these wires at their upper ends supporting a ring 14 upon whichthe hood 15 normally rests, this hood being held downward in cngagementwith the ring 14 by a spring clasp of any suitable construction. Thishood is provided with the usual perforated cap 16 and the bail or handle16 pivotally engaged with eyes formed on the oppositely disposeduprights 13.

The band 12 is illustrated in Figure 5 as formed of a sheet of metalapproximately right angular in cross section, the sheet metal beingperforated at intervals for the uprights 13 and being bent around theseuprights. The downwardly extending portion of the band has'an opening 18at one point, through which the wick raising shaft passes, and this bandis also provided with a plurality of outwardly projecting pins or studs19. Detachably engaged with the band 12 is the casing 20, cylindrical inform and closed at its bottom and perforated intermediate its top andbottom by the perforations 21 and flanged at its upper end. At its upperend the casing is flanged outward,'as at '22, then extends up ard. as atcircumferential section v 23, and at its upper edge is outwardlyextended and then downwardly extended, as

head. The" at 24, so as 'toform' an o en flange 22 is formed atintervals with circumierentially extending, slots 25., which slots openinto vertical} casing; extending" 'dewnward from this flange 22 to anysuitable extent. The vertical portion 23 of the upper endo-fthe casingis formed at one point with an opening 27 and at a plurality'otpointswith the" angular or bayonet slots 28, the vertical legs of these'slots extending into' the beach 24, as at 29.

Attached to the exterior ofthe vertical wall 23 is a latch fiOwhich' issomewhat resilient antl is attached at one endto the wall, as'byriveting, lorazing or soldering, the'opposite'endof this latch be ing:outw ardly" bent, as 31*, to forma handle and being notched toaccommodate the bead 2 L, as at 32, and having inward" of this notchedportion an aperture 33: This latch is so arranged that the apei t ure33coincides with the longitudinally. extending arm of one of the bayonetslots'28';

These bayonet slots 28, i-t' may be re marked, are intehded to receivethe studs 19, while the opening 27 isdesignedtoalign with the opening 18to permit the passage or" the" handle or shaft whereby the wick of thelamp is raised orlowered;-

Sliding upon the outer face of the casing 20 is i a ring 34' which has'anoutward-ly'pro somewhat fluted o1- corrugatedflan'ge35 forminga-handhold whereby thering may be'lowered or raised and given a slightrotation; Extending upward from the ring are therods 36-which-coincidewitlr the slots 26, these rods being; connected at their upper ends'by'a" ring 3''? which is in terrupted at one point 38. The rods 36arepreferably, through not necessarily, T- shaped in cross section so'th'ata portion of each rod will operate" inthe slot- 26, while the lateralflanges will' lie upon the outsideof the casing- 20: Each rod is alsoprovided with an inwardly projecting stud 89' which form the supportsfor the colored glass screen 4L0; This screen at its upper end is formedwith a head 41 which rests upon the ring 37. The screen 's alsovertically; slotted; as at 42; this slot I coinciding: with theinterruption 39in the ring- 5'7.

While I have referred, asabove; to' this screen being of glass and whilethis screen preferably will-be of glass, I do not, wish to'loe' limitedto this, as tlie screen might be formed of celluloid or like more: orless transparent colored material: Neither do I wishtobedimited as the;sc'reen being; or

transparent or translucent material, as' th'e screerr inightibe of:monster less opaque? ma terial and; conceal the light or therlanterninstead or-iriaking; it appear aslight: This screen restsusesthe lugs 39slo'ts 26 formed in the" i the-usual burner colored and, therefore, as.the screen supporting frameforrned by-the ring-s 34k and 37 and ring 34has beenni'oved upward above these lugs on tongues; however, the ringmay be given asligllt turn, permitted iby the width ofth'ej'slots 26,which will cause thelugxon tongue to engage the bottom ofrthe ring andhold' it upward;- A slight" reverse turn will,fof course, release'thering 34" from its engagementwith'the lugs or tongues 48 and permit thedepression ot'the screen carrier, holder or frame:

The oilcupi's designated45 and' is pros vided with a plurality of-studs:46 and with 47 having wick operate by the wick-lifting sliaftASr Thebottom of the casing 20 isformed with an annular flange 49 having.'F-sllape'd" bayonet slots 50' withwhich thestuds=46 are adapted toengage when the oil font) is insertedd in the casing and given a slightturns Thus the oil f'ont' i's locked inplace. T=he usual glass shade51is held in place the: hood at its upper end and at its lower end restsupon the seat-formed by'thering 12-. V

In the use of this device and under normal circumstances, the screen 40'is lowered into the casing 20 so that it is entirely enclosed Within thecasing and the lamp lens shows a white light and may be used for all theordinary purposes of a' white light lamp;-

Vvhen it is desired to use the screen, however, andtherebyconvertthelamp into a danger lamp or signaihlampby the use of a colored light,upward pressure is applied to the ring 343- which carriesthe screensupporting frame of holder upward until the colored screen surrounds theburner of the lamp: When the screen has been fully raised, a slightrotation to the right is given to' the ring 34', which causes thetongues 43 to l'oclr the screen" held in its raised position. Aslightrotation to the left unlocks the screen holder and permits thescreenholder to be lowered again and the screen concealed. The font45,asabove remarked, looks within the casing 20' and the casing 20 looksthrouglr the ring 12 byli13ting tlie'casing until the dep'endi g flangeofthe] ring 12 is inserted betweenthe ring 23 and the screen holder:abnd tlien giving.- a slight turn to the" casing. This causes the studs19 to enter the? bayonet slots 29 and; 28: and whenthe casing is given aslight turncne of these studs-springs intotheopeningi iyg of the latch31 and the parts are locked in their position and cannot become unlockedunless this spring latch is retracted.

It will be seen that ordinarily the lantern operates precisely like anyordinary lantern and is used in the same manner, but it is quicklyconvertible into a signal lantern whenever desired. Trainmen, fiagmenand other operators on trains will use a red screen for their signallantern, car repair men will use a blue screen, and agents at flagstations will probably use a green screen. Obviously other colors may beused.

I claimz- 1. In a lantern of the character described, a supporting framehaving a hood and a handle, a globe supporting annulus disposedintermediate the top and bottom of the frame, a font holding casinghaving its upper end flanged to surround the annulus and formed atintervals with bayonet slots, the annulus having outwardly projectingpins engaging in said slots and the casing having a latch engaging oneof said pins to hold the casing from rotation, the lower end of thecasing having an upwardly projecting circular wall inward of butconcentric to the casing wall and formed with a bayonet slot, a fontdetachably mounted in the casing and having a burner, and a wickadjusting device, the font at its lower end having a pin engageable withthe bayonet slots of said wall.

2. A lantern of the character describe-d comprising a frame and a globesupporting annulus carried by the frame, a cylindrical casing detachablyengaged with said annulus and depending therefrom, an oil fontdetachably locked within said casing and spaced from the inner facethereof and carrying a burner at its upper end, the casing beingvertically slotted at a plurality of points, a vertically movable ringmounted upon the exterior of the casing and having vertical rods havingportions projecting through said slots having sliding engagementtherewith, a screen normally disposed betw en the oil font and thecasing, the rods having seats upon which said screen rests whereby asthe ring is raised or lowered the screen is raised or lowered, thescreen being slotted for the passage of the wick raising shaft of theburner, and means for locking the ring in its raised position upon thecas- 111g.

3. In a lantern of the character described, a supporting frame having anannulus formed to provide a globe seat, the annulus having a dependingflange formed with studs, a cylindrical casing having a flanged portionat its upper end and formed with bayonet slots with which said studs areadapted to engage, the casing being vertically slotted, a screen carriercomprising a ring surrounding the exterior of the casing and slidablymounted thereon, vertical rods operating in said vertical slots of thecasing, the rods being connected by a ring at their upper ends, saidring being split at one point, a colored screen disposed within thescreen carrier and resting upon the upper ring, the screen beingvertically slotted, an oil font detachably mounted within the 021s ingand between the screen and having a burner at its upper end, a wickraising shaft extending outward through the slot in the colored screen,and means for locking the screen carrier in a raised position with thescreen surrounding the burner.

In testimony whereof I hereunto affix my signature.

WILLIAM ALBERT VVELTON.

